


Reflecting in Life

by Mistybubbles



Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Amnesia, Arcade's cursed to be a reflection, Child!Courier, Fantasy AU, Gen, Light Angst, Miranda's an amateur mage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:47:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24984814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistybubbles/pseuds/Mistybubbles
Summary: When travelling, Miranda asks Arcade what seems to be an innocent question, but it triggers him to contemplate the state of his existence.
Relationships: Female Courier & Arcade Gannon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Reflecting in Life

Arcade was reflected in a pond. More specifically, a pond that he and Miranda stumbled across after hours of wandering through the woods. It was only after they had an encounter with an angry bearboar that she finally admitted that they should take a break from travelling. Sunlight speckled the grass and the dense forest, for once, was peaceful. The girl tossed off her shoes and dipped her feet in, creating small ripples that slightly distorted the reflection in the pond. She looked at him with an intrigued expression.

“Arcade?” she asked in a singsong voice, tracing a finger in the water. He looked up at her with a questioning glance.

“What is it?”

Miranda leaned closer to Arcade and tried to poke his face. The water rippled under her fingers, distorting Arcade’s figure as he grimaced and raised his hands to cover his face. She cracked a grin. “Does it feel wet in there?” she asked, idly swirling the cool water with her finger, enjoying the patterns it made. He blinked in confusion and peeked out from behind his hands. What was…wet?

“What...do you mean by wet?”

“Erm,” Miranda stopped tracing water and looked at him in disbelief. She didn’t expect this answer from Arcade at all. He was supposed to know everything. “Like how water makes things wet.” 

Arcade tilted his head with a blank expression, not unlike a confused puppy. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. How on earth do you explain something as obvious as the wetness of water? She pursed her lips and saw something glinting out of the corner of her eye. Miranda turned to look and saw her mirror.

“Doesn’t it feel different in a pond than when you’re in a mirror?” She motioned to the silver mirror that was sitting next to her in the grass. Arcade furrowed his brows. He still didn’t quite understand but he elected to humor the girl.

“Well it certainly feels different when you keep making the water ripple like that.” He said with a small smirk. Miranda smacked the water, creating a loud splash that caused Arcade to jump back and yelp in shock. She cracked up at Arcade’s annoyed pout when he regained his bearings.

“Oh, cheer up you grumpy-butt!” she sniggered.

“You hit it!” He motioned at his surroundings, making Miranda laugh harder.

“Only ‘cause you were being a nerd.”

“Says you.” He scoffed.

She simply blew a raspberry in response and Arcade rolled his eyes. He couldn’t help himself from letting out a small chuckle.  
Miranda continued to trace the water in silence while Arcade watched her. They could faintly hear the chirping of birds in the trees above them.

Arcade cleared his throat and asked, “So, how’s that spell going?” She wrinkled her nose.

“You mean the one that attracted the bearboar that almost got us killed?” She asked incredulously, while messing with the staff that was on her back.  
He shrugged. “It wasn’t your fault that angry bearboars are apparently attracted by mysterious glowing pink lights in the middle of the woods.” She snorted and looked away.

“You really want to see it?” Arcade nodded. Miranda gave him a thankful look and pulled the staff off her back.  
The girl stepped out of the pond and grinned at him. “Watch this.” She tightened her grip on the staff and stilled as she focused. The staff started to slowly glow a bright pink. Miranda twirled the staff and then started to draw in the air. Glittery pink clouds and birds danced through the air as she squealed in delight that her spell worked and Arcade applauded her.

\- o -

They managed to navigate their way towards a sheltered town sometime after sundown. The town was lit by the soft glow of lantern lights. Miranda tried to sneak into an inn using an invisibility spell, despite Arcade’s protests that she hadn’t tried the spell before but the innkeeper caught them anyways. Luckily, the innkeeper provided them a room free of charge and simply gave an odd look towards them.

Arcade looked out from the mirror’s surface at the room surrounding him. What he was able to see completely was a lit fireplace, an old chair, and a creaky bed. Miranda was curled in a ball on it, fast asleep. The rest of his surroundings, including half a table faded out into the familiar white void that surrounded him. He looked at the sleeping Miranda and smiled. She quietly snored as she hugged her pillow. What a brave little girl. He wished he was able to be physically there for her. You could only do so much as a reflection.

Arcade stepped over to the chair and tried to pull it towards him. It wouldn’t budge. It seemed so easy when they were escaping his prison. Why couldn’t he move objects now? He kicked the chair with all his might. “Fuck!” He hissed and looked back at Miranda. Luckily, she only shifted in her sleep. Arcade looked at the chair and threw his hands in the air.

“Fine! You win.” He exclaimed, as he plopped into the chair with a bruised hubris and a throbbing toe.

It seemed frustratingly easy for normal people to move objects around. Miranda did it all the time. He slumped in the chair. People also felt things other than pain and objects, apparently. So wet had something to do with water? Arcade focused and tried to remember any instance when he was wet.

He remembered puddles. And running. And…someone dressed similarly with him. It…was raining? His chest ached. Well then. The only thing he managed to feel was a sense of Deja Vu. Not Wetness. Good job Arcade.

He stood up slowly. He took one step. Then another. Arcade stepped towards the fireplace. He couldn’t feel anything from it. How utterly depressing. Marius was right, he’d always be a half-form in this state. He could barely even piece his own life together. He gritted his teeth and pulled his hair. A couple strands came out and faded away in his palm. Arcade furrowed his brows and sighed, feeling a heavy weight in his chest.

He settled on the bed next to Miranda’s silhouette. It felt as hard as things always did but it was still a bed. He could still see her sleeping outside the mirror’s surface. Arcade turned over in bed. Tomorrow was always another day. He could figure himself out then. With that small comfort in mind, he closed his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! this is my first fanfic, I hope you enjoyed reading this :)
> 
> More stuff on this fantasy au is in my tumblr (https://mitsybubbles.tumblr.com/tagged/fantasy-au)


End file.
